Animal Crossing: First Journey
by Riku Masamune
Summary: This story covers the first Animal Crossing game for the Game Cube.
1. Chapter 1

Animal Crossing - The First Journey

Chapter I

Leaving the Nest

A young man decided to leave his parents. His mum cried as he left to the train station. His dad patted him on the back, "Good luck son!" He cheered.

His mother patted her eyes with her handkerchief, "I'll miss you." she cried.

The boy left without saying a word. He entered the train excited about his journey. As the train whistled, "Wait! Riku!" his mother cried. They train began to go slowly along the tracks, "Take this! It's not much but take it."

"A whole hundred dollars for me?"

"See if you can't get a job with it, then get you're own place."

"Thank you mum." The train sped up and he waved back at them.

The train seemed to go on forever, Riku decided to sleep on the train. Not really the smartest move to do on a trip. He dozed off... He had the strangest dream, but it felt real.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" asked a cat.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Rover."

"Sure, I don't mind..." Riku looked around the train and there were animals in clothes, a strange sight indeed. There was a boar who had a bag of turnips, a Monkey as the driver, and several other animals of various sorts.

"Do you have a name?"

"Riku."

"Are you shy?"

"Well, you're an animal."

"Oh... So are you afraid?"

"I don't know what to think..."

"Where are you headed?"

"I don't-"

Rover seemed shocked, "You don't know! Do you at least have any money?"

"A little..." Riku dug in his pockets, _I thought mum handed me paper money, but now I have coins? ten coins..._

"Well, at least you have something... Wait!" Rover had an idea, "I know of someone who owns a shop in Aniville who can sell you a house." Rover got off of the bench and went into the back room and dialled a number on the payphone inside of the train, "Hey Tom! It's me, Rover. I met someone here on the train en route to Aniville. He doesn't have anywhere to stay, so would it be alright if he purchased a house there?"

"Sure, I have four houses available. I've been having trouble selling them."

"Thanks! Oh and his name is Riku. We should arrive at the train station in about five minutes."

Rover walked back to Riku, "It looks like you are in luck. My friend has four houses to choose from."

"Thank you. Rover was it?"

"Yes, oh I'm sorry that I can't join you when we depart. I have other places I need to be."

The train came to a screeching halt and Riku left the train, "Welcome!" Said a monkey.

"Wait... Where am I"

"You are in Aniville and my name is Porter."

"Aniville?" Riku rubbed his eyes, "Wait! You're an animal!"

"Yes. You are in a village with animals, hence the name."

_This has to be a dream, this has to be a dream! _

Just then a Raccoon waltzed up to Riku, "Welcome Riku! I own a shop here in town, but I think you want a place to stay in first?"

"That's right!" Riku nodded.

"Well then follow me." He led Riku out of the station and down a cobblestone path to a group of houses with a weird dancing creature on each doorstep, "Those are called Gyroids. They are you're faithful companion and you can even set them up as a shop. Just try and not get better business than me."

"Okay..."

"Well pick a house, any house."

Riku looked at all of them, "I choose..." he paused for a moment. There was a red, yellow, green and a blue roofed house."I choose the blue roofed house!"

"Very good. That'll be thirty-thousand bells!"

"All I have is this much..." He handed the ten coins over to Tom.

"This is only one thousand bells... But since you're new here, I'll let it slide. I'll open you up a tab that you'll have to pay off... I have an idea. Since you're new here, and need a job, I'll let you work at my shop part-time." Tom coughed, "So once you unpack come by my shop located west of the station. Oh and one more thing, call me Mister Nook until I can trust you enough..."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

The Job

"So you finally decide to show up, eh?"

"Well, I need to pay off my house right?"

"Good answer." Nook dug though all of his vases, but then remembered to look by the cash register, "Here put this on." he handed Riku an apron.

"This dirty thing? Why?"

"So everyone knows that you work for me. Plus it might look good on you."

Riku tied the apron around his waist, "I guess since I have to..."

"It's a perfect fit. Now for your first errand I want you to plant flowers and trees around my shop. Make it look nice."

"Okay." Riku groaned. Nook handed him some saplings and seeds and Riku went outside. Where to plant them were his only thoughts. He could plant them by his house, but Mister Nook told him to plant them around the store. So he decided to listen to orders. He planted the trees in a uniform pattern and in his head he imagined what it it would look like; the trees would be like a country road style, tree lined road. For the flowers, he didn't know what to do with, he then thought, _how about in between each tree?_ After he finished he planting he entered the store, "I finished that job."

"Good, good." Nook chuckled greedily, "For your next job I want you to do some deliveries. You can use the bicycle in the back. I put all of the boxes in the trailer all stacked up for you, and take this order list. This will also give you a chance to introduce your self too."

"Well that sound better than getting a green-thumb."

"And if you damage the bike I'll take that out of your pay!"

"May I have a map so I won't get lost?"

"Sure... But you could've gone to the Police Station or look at the bulletin board near your house."

"Thank you Mister Nook." Riku bowed.

He hopped on the bicycle and peddled as fast as he could to get up to speed. He was towing thirty pounds in America. It was a good thing that all of the boxes were tied down. The first customer was a cat named Tangy, Riku chuckled to himself about how ridiculous she looked, "Here is your order, my name is Riku."

"Oh thank you!" Riku handed her the box, she opened it in front of him. It was a shirt, the Peachy Shirt, "How do I look?"

"It looks good on you. Well I have a lot of deliveries to do, I'm new in this town."

"Well welcome, maybe we can hang-out some time later, eh?"

"Sure..." Riku got back on the bicycle, "One down four to go."

He delivered a dresser to the female alligator Ally, a dog named Bones, an ape named Peewee, and finally a goat named Chevre. Riku peddled with a smile on his face back to Nook's shop. "Welcome back. You certainly took you're sweet time. But you still got it done. Well since you're new here, introduce yourself to the Mayor. He should be at the town hall or the wishing-well."

"Do I get paid for this?"

"No! This counts as your break." Riku sighed, "You'll have to walk though." Riku groaned.

He left the store without saying a word and decided to go to the Town Hall first. All who was there was a nice pelican named Pelly, "Hi there, and welcome to the Town Hall."

"Hi, I'm Riku. I just moved here." _Though this still feels like a dream..._ "I'm actually looking for the mayor."

"You'll find Tortimer by the Wishing-well. And please answer his questions honestly."

"Okay." Riku bowed and went to the Wishing-well.

"I should head back soon." A cranky, grumpy looking tortoise said.

"Are you the Mayor?"

"I can be. Back in my day-"

"I'm Riku, I just moved here."

"Well Sunny or did you say Rainy? I didn't quite hear that..."

"It's Riku! R-I-K-U."

"Ah, then why didn't you say so? Well, what are you here for again?"

Riku sighed, "I'm here to-"

"Usurp the throne! If you lived here I'd throw you out. But you look like a fellow who don't know what he's doing."

"I just moved here and I have no desire to be the mayor. I came here because I was told to introduce my self."

"Then why didn't you say so!" He faced Riku and was shocked to see a human in his town, he twirled his beard and leaned on his cane, "Let me ask you a question. Who do you look up to the most? Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, The Mayor, The Chief of Police, or your best friend?"

"Uh... Father I guess." Tortimer looked depressed at the response, "But My Grandfather was a Mayor so I should have respect for him. In fact as I grew up he was my role model."

Tortimer smiled, "Well then Sunny, you and I well become good friends!"

"It's Riku."

"Okay Ricky."

Riku sighed, _I give up... _"Well I must get back to Mister Nook."

"I've introduced myself to Pelly and the mayor."

"Good, good. Well it's getting close to closing time. So go home and come back tomorrow."

"What about a bed?"

"I come by later and drop it off. I'll add it to your tab."

Riku sighed, "Okay. I'll see you later then." Riku went back to his home and waited for Nook to arrive. Hours went by and Riku began to feel sleepy. Nook showed up and gave him a blue bed to match his roof.

"I'll see you tomorrow at opening time."

"Okay, later." Nook peddled away, Riku was curious where he slept. All of the villagers had their own homes but the Post Lady, Mister Nook, and The Mayor. He wondered who else lived here, _Tomorrow after work I'll explore._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III  
The Town

"Good work today. Here's a little bonus." Nook began to hand him a sack of Bells and Riku had the eyes of anticipation, "But it goes to your rent, eh?"

Riku let out a sigh of disappointment, "That's fine."

"Now, if I subtract everything for now you will have this much to pay." Nook showed him a receipt:

Riku's Payment

1,000 Bells paid

49,000 Bells left

Worked off 3,000 Bells

Got a couch added 450 Bells

Worked off 5,000 Bells

Total Left: 41, 450

"It loos like you need to work even longer. If you didn't have any I'd have you stay 'til closing."  
"Adding that couch certainly cost me..."  
"Well, it's just business. Gotta make a living, family you know? You do understand right?"  
"Yes sir, I understand."

Riku closed the door, "Maybe I was a little hard on the kid." Nook said under his breath.  
Riku took in the sunshine and the breeze and a smile grew on his face, "I might go to the beach."

As he made it to the beach, he kicked off his shoes but hit the mayor in the head with his left sneaker. "Eh? Who goes there?" The Mayor was looking across the sea in a trance.  
"I'm so sorry!" He bowed.  
"Oh really now? What did you the sea do?" Tortimer picked up the sneaker and was about to throw it back to the sea, where he thought it came from."  
"Mr. Mayor!" Riku ran to him, "That's... my... shoe..." he panted.

"Why if it isn't Riky!" he smiled.

"It's R-I-K-U! Riku!"

"Where's Riku?"

"He is me!" he sighed, "Oh well. May I have my shoe back?"

"Sure." The mayor gave him his shoe and started to head back to the Town Hall, "Oh, and if you want people to know you, you should send letters. Letters here are worth more than Bells."

Riku looked at the sand and began to laugh at the Mayor's footprints. He took off his shirt and placed it gently on the sand and dove into the water. He thoughts went back to his home, and was wondering if this was all a dream. He thought it funny seeing himself sleeping on the train. Riku jumped out of the water and stood where the Mayor was. "What's this?" He unburied what his foot bumped into, it was a fishing rod. Riku smiled and then his stomach began to growl. "I'll catch some fish."  
After hours of fishing, and placing the fish on the beach in a small pool he dug himself, he wondered how he was going to carry the fish. Thoughts soared throughout his mind, he could carry them all by their tails, but what would he do about a tank. He could take them all to Nook and see if he'd take them, after he ate a few. But does Nook have a tank! What about that guy at the Museum, Blathers! He saw Pewee fishing and he had an ice chest, "Can I borrow this?"  
"Sure thing, pal. You can keep it."

"Thank you!" He bowed. He grabbed the chest and put his fish in it. He first headed into the museum, "Blathers sir? Mister Owl?" Riku sighed, "Looks as if nobody is home." He noticed that the clock was moved and there was a staircase that was hidden. He put his fish down and decided to follow the staircase. It became darker and darker, then a small light showed up, "Hello?"

A strange sound was heard as a plume of feathers flew around the room, "Who is it!"

"It's Riku. I noticed that there was a stair case and I followed." Riku walked closer to the feathers and saw that Blathers was catching his feathers and trying to put them back in, "I have a donation if you will."

"You do! Most excellent." Blathers looked to see if his private things wasn't found, "Shoo-shoo! Go back up the stairs and what for me, okay?"

"Alright." _So that's where he sleeps_. Moment's passed and Blathers showed up, Riku opened the ice chest, "Here they are."

"Good, good, though I can only take one of each." He dug in the chest very rude like, "Looks like you have three different fish, an eel, a sea bass, and a red snapper!"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Mind you that all donations are free. You get nothing for now. And if you complete the museum, you may get a special reward."

"All I care about is waking up." he blurted, he retraced what he said, "I mean that all I care about is helping." He gave a nervous chuckle.

"You should take the fish to Tom."

"Tom? You mean Nook?"

"Yes. You should take them to Tom Nook, he'll buy them."

"Thank you." he bowed and ran off to the store.

"Back already? And without a shirt and shoes! No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service!"

"Can I leave the merchandise here while I go fetch them?"

"Do what you want. What's in the chest?"

"Fish?"

"Who told you I but fish?"

"Blathers did."

"That blabbermouth."

Riku ran to the beach, put on his shirt and found his shoes, and one of them was floating away. That was his left shoe too. He waded into the water to fetch it. He put on the damp shoe and it squeaked the whole way there.

"So I took a look at your fish and I'll buy the lot for 2,800 Bells."

"That's a deal!"

"Do you want the Bells or should I take it for your rent?"

"I'll pay off my loan."

"Good choice."

"Thank you very much!"

"Well shop is closing. Do you have any plans tomorrow?"

"No, did you want me to work all day?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll stay tomorrow. So I take it that I should get some rest to get ready then."

"That would be wise."

Riku raced to his house,_ Perhaps I'll wake up when everyone here doesn't need any help._


End file.
